Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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THERAPY DEVICES AND
=
DOMESTIC/COMMERCIAL THERAPY SYSTEM
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The
present invention relates to therapy devices
adapted to provide to a user person facial/mentally applied
therapies as well as body applied therapies. The
massage
therapy devices are also integratable in a personalized
therapeutic treatment system which is comprised of a
commercially operated spa offering therapeutic services and a
household spa having one or more therapeutic devices.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] It is
known in the prior art to provide massage
therapy tables and chairs and incorporating therein devices
to provide to the user person various forms of therapy such
as virtual reality experiences, aroma therapy, ozone or
oxygen therapy, heat therapy and other such therapies that
may be incorporated in such massage devices. With reference
to U.S. Patent Nos. 6,273,865 and 7,080,420, examples of such
devices are therein described. However,
such devices all
have limited use and in most cases are limited to massage
therapy, thus requiring the presence of a masseur person.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0003] It is a
feature of the present invention to provide
therapy devices which are an improvement over the devices
known in the art and which are provided with selectable
sensory generating means to transmit to the face, brain and
various parts of the body of the user person therapies.
[0004] Another
feature is to provide a massage table
having integrated therewith various therapeutic means and
providing for a massage by a masseur person.
[0005] Another
feature is to provide a transportable
massage table which is adapted for support on a free standing
bathtub and wherein therapeutic means are secured on the
underside of the massage table to provide one or more
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therapeutic treatment to a person lying in the bathtub under
the massage table.
[0006] Another
feature of the present invention is to
provide a personalized therapeutic treatment system which is
comprised of a commercially operated spa offering therapeutic
services and a household spa having one or more therapeutic
treatment devices with both the commercial and household spas
communicating through an internet link whereby the household
spa may benefit from a full line of therapeutic services at
home.
[0007] Another
feature of the present invention is to
provide a personalized therapeutic treatment system
comprising a commercially operated spa offering therapeutic
services, and a household spa having one or more therapy
table/chair constructed in accordance with the present
invention.
[0008] According
to the above features, from a broad
aspect, the present invention provides a therapy device
adapted to support the body or part of the body of a user
person. The device comprises body supports secured to a main
frame and positioned for supporting at least portions of the
body of the user person. A head rest support is adapted to
support a peripheral portion about the face of the user
person while permitting face exposure to a sensory generating
housing. The sensory generating housing has at least one of
or a combination of facial applied therapies including a
lumino therapeutic means, an audio therapy device, an aroma
therapeutic means, an ozone or oxygen injector, and scented
essences. The body
supports have at least one of or a
combination of body applied therapies including a vibration
generating means, a controllable magnetic field generator and
heating means. A controller device has an interface with
inputting means for selectively actuating each or all or a
combination of the facial and body applied therapies. The
controller has a computer and memory for storing executable
programs actuable by instructions generated by the inputting
means.
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[0009] According
to a further broad aspect of the present
invention there is provided a therapy device adapted to
support the body or part of the body of a user person. The
device comprises body supports secured to a support frame and
positioned for supporting at least portions of the body of
the user person. The body supports have at least one of or a
combination of body applied therapies including a vibration
generating means, a controllable magnetic field generator and
heating means. A
controller device has an interface with
inputting means for selectively actuating one or all or a
combination of the body applied therapies. The
controller
has a computer and memory for storing executable programs
actuable by instructions generated by the inputting means.
The body supports are constituted by a seat or a seat portion
of a transport vehicle.
[00010] According
to a further broad aspect of the present
invention there is provided a therapy device adapted to
support a facial part of the body of a user person. The
device comprises a head rest support adapted to support a
peripheral portion about the face of the user person while
permitting exposure to a sensory generating housing having at
least one or a combination of facial applied therapies
including lumino-therapeutic means, an audio therapy device,
an aroma therapeutic means; an ozone, oxygen or water vapor
injector, and scented essences. A controller device has an
interface with inputting means for selectively actuating one
or all or a combination of the facial applied therapies. The
controller has a computer and memory for storing executable
programs actuable by instructions generated by the inputting
means. The head
rest support is secured to support means
disposed forwardly of a seat of a transport vehicle.
[00011] According
to a further broad aspect of the present
invention there is provided a personalized therapeutic
treatment system which comprises a commercially operated spa
offering therapeutic services, and a household spa having one
or more therapeutic treatment devices. An internet link is
provided for communicating information between the
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commercially operated spa and the household spa and relating
to one or more therapy treatment programs assigned to one or
more domestic user persons of the household spa using the
treatment devices.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[00012] A preferred embodiment of the present invention
will now be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which:
[00013] FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic view of a
massage therapy table incorporating therein a plurality of
facial applied therapies as well as body applied therapies;
[00014] FIG. 2A is a schematic side view of a massage
therapy chair constructed in accordance with the present
invention and providing a plurality of facial applied as well
as body applied therapies;
[00015] FIG. 23 is a front view of Figure 2A;
[00016] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing the basic
construction of the head rest support pad and its relation to
the sensory generating housing;
[00017] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a
modification of the massage table herein adapted or mounting
over a bathtub;
[00018] FIGs. 5A and 53 are perspective views showing the
massage table deposed on a bathtub;
[00019] FIG. 6 is a fragmented view showing the position
of a flexible heating membrane held captive between a foam
layer and covering material of the massage table;
[00020] FIG. 7 is a simplified cross-section view showing
a user person lying in a bathtub, under the massage table,
and undergoing therapeutic treatments; and
[00021] FIG. 8 is a simplified block diagram illustrating
a personalized therapeutic treatment system comprised of a
domestic spa interfaced with a commercial spa through an
internet link.
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[00022]
Referring now to the drawings and more particularly
to Figure 1, there is shown generally at 10 an example of a
massage therapy table constructed in accordance with the
present invention and adapted to support the body 11 of a
user person 12. The massage therapy table 10 comprises a
main frame 13 having a framework suitable for supporting the
table platform with body support pads 14 along a horizontal
top plane 15 thereof. As hereinshown there is provided an
upper body portion support pad 14' and a lower body portion
support pad 14". These support pads may be interconnected by
hinges to articulate them.
[00023] Each of
the body portion support pads 14' and 14"
are provided with body therapy devices, operated
independently from one another, to generate a therapeutic
treatment to the user person 12 lying on the body support
pads. The
upper body portion support pad 14' is provided
with a head rest section 16 at a free end thereof. A sensory
generating housing 17 is secured under the upper body portion
support pad 14' and aligned with an opening 18 of the head
rest section 16 to permit face exposure thereto as herein
shown and wherein the face 19 of the user person is disposed
within the opening 18 with the head being supported by a
peripheral pad portion about the opening.
[00024] With
additional reference now to Figure 3, it can
be seen that the sensory generating housing 17 is secured to
a frame member 13' in a manner to be removably connected
thereto and disposed in closed space proximity to the face 19
of the user person 12. It may
also be telescopically
supported for ease of adjustment. The
sensory generating
housing 17 has a closed bottom end 20, surrounding side walls
21 and an open top end 22. In one
embodiment the closed
bottom end 20 may have an image generating screen device
secured therein to provide visual therapy to the eyes of the
user person. A skin
contact virtual visual and sound
experience can also be provided through the screen as well as
light therapy. Ozone, oxygen, vapor and/or scented essence
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injectors 24 are also secured to the side wall 21 or bottom
end wall 20 of the housing 17 to generate ozone and oxygen,
whether scented or not, to the face of the user person as
indicated by arrows 25. Such could provide, for example, the
sensory experience of a forest or ocean waves transporting
the sensory experience of the user person to a relaxed
environment.
[00025] The
injectors 24 may also be pulsating injectors
and these may be operated in a sequential mode as programmed
in a controller 35 which will be described later. A
plurality of light emitting diodes 26 are secured to the side
walls 21 of the housing 17 to provide chromo therapy. One or
more speakers 29 may also be connected to the side walls 21
of the sensory generating housing 17 to generate sound or
music appropriate to a therapy.
[00026] As shown
in Figure 1, the body support pads 14' and
14" have at least one or a combination of body applied
therapies which include a vibration generating means in the
form of vibrating elements, herein frequency operated cones
30, disposed to impart vibrations to the pads 14' and 14" or
frame elements 31 supporting the pads. Controllable magnetic
field generators 32 equipped with coils or other form of
conductors, as will be described later, are also secured
within the foam inside pads 14' and 14" to generate an
oriented magnetic field 33 within the immediate surface area
of the pads to provide electromagnetic therapy to the user
person's body or parts of the body, such as the legs or arms
of the user person. The intensity modulation and frequency
of the magnetic field is controlled by an executable program
which is stored in the memory 34 of a controller device 35.
The controller device has an interface module 36, or
integrated therein, and provided with touch switches 37 to
select desired ones of the various facial or body applied
therapies. Several
executable programs are stored in the
memory 34 of the controller 35. Electrical heating wires 49
and 49' are also incorporated in the upper body support pad
14 and lower body support pad 14". Solid membrane infrared
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panels may also be secured to ports of the pads to generate
heat to the body or parts thereof. The therapy devices of
the present invention can be used by the user person without
assistance, if a masseur is not required. Well
known
massaging devices may also be incorporated in the pads to
effect different type of massages and accordingly a masseur
person is not required.
[00027] With
reference now to Figures 2A and 2B, there is
shown a massage therapy chair 10' also constructed in
accordance with the present invention. The massage therapy
chair 10 is provided with a seat support pad 36, and
abdominal support pad 37 and a head rest support pad 38. The
seat support pad 36 is secured to a horizontal seat frame
portion 39 of the main frame 40 which is provided with legs
41. An inclined abdominal frame member 42 extends angularly
upwards and outwards from an edge section 43 of the
horizontal seat frame portion 39 with the abdominal pad 37
secured thereto and spaced from the seat pad 36 and the head
rest support pad 38. The head rest support pad 38 is secured
to a free end of the inclined abdominal frame member 42 and
spaced from a top end of the abdominal frame.
[00028] As shown
in Figure 2B, the abdominal frame member
42 is provided with telescopic sections 42' and 42" in both
the areas of the frame below and above the abdominal support
pad 37 whereby to adjust the chair to user persons of
different stature. A connecting knob 43 provides quick and
easy adjustment and interconnection of the telescopic frame
members 42' and 42".
[00029] As shown
in Figure 2A, the seat support pad 36 and
abdominal support pad 37 are also provided with
electromagnetic field generators 33. They are also provided
with vibration devices 30 as previously described.
Similarly, the head rest support pad is provided with the
housing 17 as previously described to selectively provide all
of the therapies associated therewith, as shown in Figure 3
and described above. As shown in Figure 2A, the head support
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pad is an annular pad having an opening 38' therein for
receiving the face 19 of the user person.
[00030] Referring
now to Figures 4 to 7, there is shown a
further embodiment of the therapy table. As hereinshown, the
therapy table 10" is provided by three rigid foam pad panels
60, 61 and 62 interconnected together by hinges 63 and 64.
An adjustable frame 65, see Figure 5, is secured under the
panels or provided separately to mount the pads onto an
existing bathtub 66, herein a free standing bathtub. It
could also be mounted on a recessed bathtub if a masseur
person is not required, such as when massaging devices are
integrated in the panels and automatically operated by the
controller 35. The
hinges provide for the panels to be
articulated and an adjustable backrest support 67 maintains
the panel 60 at an angle when required. As shown in Figure
6, a flexible heating membrane 59 is held captive between the
foam sheet 58 and the covering material 57.
[00031] As shown
in Figure 5B, one of the panels, herein
panel 62, may be provided with a face receiving opening 18'
under which is detachably secured the sensory generating
housing 17. The bathtub 66 thus provides the support for the
massage table 10". It also
provides an enclosure 70
thereunder formed by the bathtub. This
enclosure 70 is
illustrated in Figure 7.
[00032] The
enclosure 70 forms a therapeutic chamber in
which a person can receive some of the sensory therapies
described previously. As shown in Figure 7, the undersides
of the pads are fitted with infrared radiating panels 71 to
provide a heat sensation to the body of the user person 72
lying in the bathtub 66. The sensory generating housing 17,
which is detachably securable, may also be reversibly
attached to generate the sensory therapies previously
described. The bathtub 66 may also be a therapeutic bathtub
equipped with massaging jet 73 and water may also be provided
at a safe level to provide further therapeutic treatment.
Accordingly, the massage table 10" provides for further
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therapeutic use in a house spa where the bathtub can be used
as a support and treatment chamber.
[00033] The
therapy table 10 and chair 10' have also been
conceived for domestic use and these therapeutic treatment
devices can be incorporated in a personalized therapeutic
treatment system as shown in Figure 8. The system as shown
in Figure 8 integrates a commercially operated spa 50,
offering therapeutic services, to a household spa 51 having
one or more therapeutic treatment devices such as the
therapeutic table 10, 10" and chair 10' of the present
invention or other therapeutic treatment devices. Through
the internet 52, a computer link 53 is established between
the household spa 51 and the commercially operated spa 50.
This link provides for communication of information, through
the use of PCs 55, relating to one or more therapy treatment
programs assigned to one or more domestic user person of the
household spas 51, only one hereinshown. The one
or more
therapy treatment programs include massage therapy programs
which are assigned by a coach person of the commercially
operated spa in communication with the person of the
household spa through the internet. A masseur person may
visit the household spa 51 on a periodic basis, as required,
depending on the treatment program, and this is represented
by the link 54 between the commercially operated spa 50 and
the household spa 51. Accordingly, all forms of therapeutic
treatments and services can be offered to a person at home,
having its own custom spa, without having to visit a
commercially-operated spa 50 on a regular basis.
Accordingly, this method offers health improving services for
the well being of a person desirable of having all of the
services at home. Through the internet link 53 the domestic
user person would also provide information pertaining to its
regular customized treatment programs to a masseur person or
other coach person at the commercially operated spa 50 to
effect a follow-up and/or the coach to monitoring of results.
The controller 35 may have a program to store data pertaining
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to the treatment program and which data is made available to
the commercial spa via the internet link.
[00034] The
household spa 51 may be a bathroom of the
household or a room dedicated to contain various therapeutic
appliances such as sauna or steam shower enclosures,
hydromassaging bathtubs and visual and other virtual therapy
generating devices incorporated in the special room.
[00035] The
commercial generating spa 50 would also offer
through the internet link, therapeutic products personalized
to the domestic user persons of all household spa clients
connected to the commercial spa through the internet.
Internet accessible program forms are also communicated to
the user persons at the household spas via the internet and
provide a means of communicating information on ongoing
treatment programs of each home spa user whereby a coach or
an assigned qualified person, at the commercial spa, can
evaluate the performance of the user persons and modify the
treatment program if necessary. Through
the internet,
general exercising and nutritional information can also be
provided for the benefit of all domestic user person clients
of the commercial spa. The
therapeutic service of the
commercial spa includes visits to the home spas to provide
therapeutic products, nutritional information, and exercising
classes personalized to the domestic user person as well as
courses and techniques relating to the therapeutic treatments
and products.
[00036] It is
within the ambit of the present invention to
cover any other obvious modifications of the preferred
embodiments described herein provided such modifications fall
within the scope of the appended claims. For
example, the
sensory generating housing 17 may be connected directly to
the head rest section 16 of the pad 14' of the table 10 or
the head rest support pad 38 of the chair 10' by such
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detachable means as Velcro, etc. Also the
vibration
imparting means or diaphragms 30 may be substituted by
pizocrystal frequency generators. Further,
in order to
humidify the face 19 of the user person 12, small jets of
steam may also be connected to the sensory generating housing
17. Negative
ions can also be injected into the sensory
generating housing 17. The
personalized therapeutic
treatment system as above-described is a means to transform a
bathroom or dedicated room in a household where therapeutic
treatments can be given and a follow-up on the treatments
provided, such as with a coach at a gym, without the domestic
user person having to visit a commercial spa.
[00037] The therapeutic treatment devices as above-
described may also be incorporated in the seats of transport
vehicles such as cars, buses, trains, ships, etc., whereby to
provide relaxing and beneficial therapies to traveling
persons, particularly for long voyages, such as long flights.
Accordingly, the table therapeutic devices can be integrated
in seat and backrest cushions. The
sensory generating
housing 17 could be secured to the rear of a backrest whereby
the traveler person can receive these therapeutic treatments
as well or optionally. Such would greatly reduce the effects
of jetlag, stress, fatigue and other discomforts associated
with travel.
